Before Venus and Serena Williams, before Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis, there was Billie Jean King.
And on Wednesday, King–one of the most famous female athletes of all time–will be taking time out to share her stories and lessons of the game with amateur tennis players at RiverWinds.
King will be part of a luncheon and tennis clinic that will be held from noon to 2 p.m. About 100 tickets were sold for the event, according to RiverWinds Tennis Club General Manager and Tennis Director Gina Pileggi.
“It’s a mix of kids and adults who will be attending,” Pileggi said. “Some of the kids in program are leaving school early to experience a legend.”
King was a dominant women's tennis star who spent five years as the No. 1 ranked female tennis player in the world, won Wimbledon six times and claimed the U.S. Open four times. However, what she is most known for is one single match–a match that that did more for female athletes than possibly any sporting event prior or since has been able to accomplish.
The match, labeled “The Battle of the Sexes,” took place on Sept. 20, 1973, in Houston, and featured King taking on 55-year old Bobby Riggs, who was a former star in the game.
King went on to record a landmark 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 win that helped convince the sporting world that women could survive the pressures of competition.
After her tennis career ended, King remained outspoken about her support for female athletes getting equal opportunities. She has stayed close to the sport, working as a co-owner of the World Tennis Tour (WTT).
Last year, King was able to convince RiverWinds operator and former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Rob Jaworski to come out to a WTT event and throw around some footballs and introduce a few of the players. This summer, Jaworski will be again participating in an event for the Philadelphia Freedom at the Villanova Pavilion on July 13. In exchange, King agreed to make her first trip to RiverWinds to greet local tennis players.
“We are going to have Ron introduce her (Wednesday), and she will focus on the clinics and keep it fun and lighthearted and talk about Philadelphia Freedom and get people involved with World Team Tennis,” Pileggi said.
Although many of the participants were not yet born when King was at the top of her game, Pileggi said everyone that plans to be in attendance is well aware of her accomplishments and impact on the sport and female athletics.
“I think for the most part, the people coming know who she is and what she is done," Pileggi said. “Tennis enthusiasts are familiar of King and people who have played in the past. People know that the U.S. Open (tennis center) is named after her and are excited to get a chance to meet a legend.”
